George Lucas

Born May 14, 1944, this son of a Modesto, CA retail businessman grew up tinkering with cars and dreaming of glory at the racetrack until a near-fatal auto crash derailed his driving ambitions, forcing him behind the scenes as a mechanic. He had already begun experimenting with both still photography and 8-mm movies, when an assignment to help build a racing car introduced him to its owner, distinguished cinematographer Haskell Wexler, with whose encouragement he began to pursue filmmaking seriously. At University of Southern California, he studied animation before moving to cinematography and excelling at editing, making eight student films ranging from one minute to 25 minutes. As the winne... Continue Bio >>